Why Olive Garden's Lunch-Sized Menu Probably Isn't Worth It

Like many other chain dining establishments, Olive Garden offers a lunch menu featuring classic Italian comfort food in smaller serving sizes. While it might seem like the chain's lunch offerings are a much better deal in terms of cost per serving, that's not always the case. Olive Garden diners actually get more value for their money when they order the regular serving size when it comes to cost comparisons.

Take the lasagna classico, a very popular dish at the chain. The lunch serving costs $10.99, while the dinner serving costs $17.79. For just $6.80 more, diners will receive a much larger portion, which is ultimately a better deal. Even better, both the lunch and dinner servings come with tasty extras when you order online — such as two complimentary breadsticks and a cup of soup or house salad. If you're concerned that you won't have the appetite to finish the larger portion, no worries. There's a simple, yet effective, hack you can employ.

When visiting an Olive Garden location, you can make the most of regular servings sizes by getting some of your food to go. After placing an order, ask the server to pack up half the entrée in a to-go box, so you can enjoy it at home on the following day. And unlike takeout orders, dine-in patrons at Olive Garden are privy to the never-ending soup, salad, and breadsticks deal. That means you can also take any remaining items with you once your meal is complete.

Olive Garden also offers an extra entrée for a reduced price with both the lunch and dinner options. In this case, you can receive one of three menu items for just $6 more. Diners are invited to choose from fettuccine alfredo, five-cheese ziti, or spaghetti with meat sauce. Keep in mind that extra entrées do not include soup, salad, and breadsticks (as they must be ordered separately). Olive Garden also makes it easy for diners to enjoy three of their most iconic entrées in one fell swoop.

If you're looking for a variety of classic Olive Garden menu items in one convenient package, the Tour of Italy is precisely what you're after. This entrée consists of fettucine alfredo, chicken parmigiana, and lasagna classico. Diners also have the option of substituting the fettucine alfredo with spaghetti and meat sauce.

Like other menu items, the Tour of Italy can be combined with an additional $6 entrée. If you're ordering takeout, you'll get two breadsticks along with a cup of soup or house salad. When dining at Olive Garden, you can pair the Tour of Italy with endless soup, salad, and breadsticks. This dish retails for just $20.79 — which is pretty impressive when you consider just how much food you're getting for the price. In fact, Olive Garden's generous serving sizes are part of what makes the chain so popular. By carefully considering your order, you can rest assured that you're getting the most value for your money.